Marble-shooter.



W. F. SWEET.

MARBLE SHOOTER.

APPLICATION FILED, AUG. 6. 1910.

994,888, Patented June 13, 1911.

MTN55E$ INVLNTOR Waco/-15 F1 SWLLT A Tn: NORRIS PITIRS co., wasumcnw, n. c.

WELCOME F. SWEET, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MARBLE-SHOOTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 13, 1911.

Application filed August 5, 1910. Serial No. 575,851.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVELooME F. SWEET, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Marble- Shooters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure l is a vertical section taken longitudinally through the center of a marble shooter of my improved construction. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved-marble shooter. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the marble shooter with a portion of the propelling spring broken away.

My invention relates to a toy or plaything in the form of a device particularly adapted for shooting marbles or other small objects such as pebbles, dried beans, peas, or the like, and my present invention is an improvement on similar devices shown and described in applications filed by me April 9, 1910, Serial No. 544,766, and March 29, 1910, Serial No. 552,165. In the forms of marble shooters disclosed in the above-mentioned applications, the handle and the holder was constructed in one piece, and it was found in practice that such construction readily permitted the marble or object to be propelled to roll out of the holder when the same was brought into a horizontal posit-ion. I propose to overcome this objection by pivotally mounting the holder upon the handle in such a manner that when the spring is moved into a set position it will automatically maintain the pivoted holder in an inclined position, so that the marble or object to be propelled cannot roll out of the holder as long as the device is held in the natural position for shooting.

A further object of my present invention is to provide means whereby the spring can be set or adjusted to different positions so as to shoot or propel the object with varying degrees of force when released.

To the above purposes, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the handle of the device, which is preferably formed from a strip of sheet metal with its side edges bent upward, as designated by 2, to form reinforcing ribs, and the central portion of this handle is bowed or curved upward, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Formed on or fixed to the forward end of the handle is a straight portion 3 which occupies an approximately horizontal position when the handle 1 is grasped in the hand and held in position for shooting. This straight portion 3 is troughshaped in cross section, and formed through the handle immediately to the rear of said straight portion is an opening 4:. A lip 5 is formed integral with the rear end of the straight portion 3 and projects upward through the opening 4.

6 designates the holder of the device, the same being preferably constructed of sheet metal and of trough shape in cross section. The rear end of this trouglr-shaped holder is pivotally mounted on the straight portion 3 by means of pins 7 which project from the sidesof the holder 6 through suitable apertures formed in the sides of the portion 3, and projecting from the rear end of the trough-shaped holder through the opening 4: is a tongue 8 which performs the function of a trigger. Formed through the forward portion of this tongue 8 is an opening 9 which receives the upwardly bent lip 5.

10 designates the spring utilized for propelling the marble or object positioned in the trouglrshaped holder 6, and the rear end of this spring is fixed in any suitable manner to the rear end of the handle 1. The forward portion of this spring is of inverted U-shape, and the straight free leg 12 of this inverted U-shaped portion is adapted to swing freely over the holder 6. The lower end of the leg 12 is provided with a curved rearwardly projecting extension 13, in which is formed a series of apertures 14 adapted to receive the tongue 8.

By the construction just described, it is possible for the operator to set the spring at different points so as to develop diiferent degrees of tension, and consequently the marble or object can be propelled or shot with greater or less force, as desired.

To set my improved marble shooter, the leg 12 of the spring is moved rearward and at the same time the body portion of said spring is slightly elevated to permit the curved extension 13 to pass over the lip 5. This curved extension is permitted to engage on the tongue 8 with the lip 5 projecting through one of the apertures 14. The downward pressure of the front portion of the spring bearing upon the tongue 8 causes the front end of the holder 6 to move upward, and thus said holder occupies an inclined position as seen in Fig. 1. The marble or other object to be shot or propelled is now located in the rear lower portion of the holder 6 against the lower end of the leg 12 of the spring, and the device may now be grasped in the hand in position for shooting and without danger of the marble or object rolling outof the holder. To release the spring, the tongue 8 is pressed upward by the index finger, and as the holder 6 swings upon its pivot, the curved extension 13 of the spring is moved upward until disengaged from the lip 5. During this releasing movement of the spring, the forward portion of the holder 6 is gradually moving downward into a horizontal position, and when the curved portion 18 of the spring is finally disengaged from the lip 5, the lower portion of the leg 12 of said spring will swing forward through the holder 6, thereby propelling or shooting the object positioned on said holder.

A marble shooter of my improved construction is comparatively simple, can be cheaply manufactured, provides an interesting and amusing toy for children, and is V particularly adapted for shooting round objects such as marbles and the small balls ordinarily used in toy or table bowling games.

I claim.

1. In a device of the class described, a handle, a trough-shaped holder pivotally mounted on said handle, and a spring on said handle, the free end of which spring is adapted to move through the holder.

2. In a device of the class described, a handle, a trough-shaped holder pivotally mounted thereon, a propelling spring, one end of which is adapted to move through the trough-shaped holder, and an extension on the holder against which the spring engages when in a set position.

3. In a device of the class described, a handle, a holder pivotally mounted thereon, an extension on said holder, and a spring, one end of which is fixed to the handle and the opposite end being adapted to bear against the extension on the holder and to swing over said holder when released.

4. In a device of the class described, a handle, a holder pivotally mounted thereon, a spring on the handle, one end of which spring is adapted to swing over the holder, and means for holding the end of said spring in a set position at the rear end of the holder.

5. In a device of the class described, a handle, a holder pivotally mounted thereon, an extension on the rear end of the holder, anda spring, one end of which is fixed to the handle and the opposite end being adapted to engage the handle and bear upon the extension of the holder when said spring is in a set position.

6. In a device of the class described, a handle, a pivotally mounted holder, and a propelling spring adapted to engage the 101C161 when in a set position and maintain the forward end of said holder in an elevated position.

7. In a device of the class described, a handle, a holder pivotally mounted thereon, an extension on said holder, and a propelling spring adapted to bear on the ex tension when in set position and hold the forward end of the holder in an elevated position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 3d day of August 1910.

WELCOME F. SW'EET.

Witnesses:

M. P. SMITH, B. L. CROWLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

